2008 Woodie Awards
Growing up gives better perspective on life
By Jessica Rupell
Rocket Focus Editor
Issue date: 1/27/06 Section: Opinion
It seems to me that we are never truly pleased with our lives. From the time we are old enough to know what age is, we are constantly striving and wishing to get to the next age. And then, when we reach that age, we long to be older again. From starting kindergarten to turning double-digits to middle school and the teenage years, each year seems to bring more excitement than the last. But once we can drive, we want to vote and be an official adult, and when we have reached being the adult age of 18, we only dream of the day we become 21.
I guess this vicious cycle only ceases during the last couple of months or years before college graduation, a moment where our outlook on age and time suddenly do a 180-degree turn. But why does it take so long for us to realize how valuable time is? And why does it take so long to conclude that we shouldn't have been wishing for these years to pass as quickly as they did?
It baffles me as to why so many people (myself included) find themselves wishing it would be next week already. Or six weeks, four months or three years later than it is now. I guess the way many of us were raised was to be focused on the future and completing our goals and ambitions. But what's the big rush in growing up?
As a child, I can remember few major crises that occurred in my life. Besides falling off the jungle gym, getting time-out or not being able to go and play with my friends, life was pretty freaking sweet. In reality, many things were going on that I had no clue about, and I'm sure my mom would say things weren't as great for her while I was growing up, but as a kid, I hardly had a worry in the world.
Years later, I find myself longing for those worry-free days of playing and running around. Although there are certainly perks that come with each new birthday, not everything is as great as it seems. Growing up for me meant having to go through my parents' divorce, see so many people I love pass away and endure heartache from the loss of friends and old flames. It's seeing my dad move across the country, my friends scatter when we all left home, and most recently, it's realizing that the house I grew up in will be torn down in just a few short months.
Even though things in my life now are far from perfect, I am really starting to understand just how precious time can be, and I've just been trying to enjoy and soak in all that I can. Sometimes, I even really wish I could stop time in its tracks, because I know it will pass by all too quickly. I know growing up is inevitable, and there are definitely things I still look forward to in the years to come; it's just now, I'm not in so much of a rush to get there.
I guess this vicious cycle only ceases during the last couple of months or years before college graduation, a moment where our outlook on age and time suddenly do a 180-degree turn. But why does it take so long for us to realize how valuable time is? And why does it take so long to conclude that we shouldn't have been wishing for these years to pass as quickly as they did?
It baffles me as to why so many people (myself included) find themselves wishing it would be next week already. Or six weeks, four months or three years later than it is now. I guess the way many of us were raised was to be focused on the future and completing our goals and ambitions. But what's the big rush in growing up?
As a child, I can remember few major crises that occurred in my life. Besides falling off the jungle gym, getting time-out or not being able to go and play with my friends, life was pretty freaking sweet. In reality, many things were going on that I had no clue about, and I'm sure my mom would say things weren't as great for her while I was growing up, but as a kid, I hardly had a worry in the world.
Years later, I find myself longing for those worry-free days of playing and running around. Although there are certainly perks that come with each new birthday, not everything is as great as it seems. Growing up for me meant having to go through my parents' divorce, see so many people I love pass away and endure heartache from the loss of friends and old flames. It's seeing my dad move across the country, my friends scatter when we all left home, and most recently, it's realizing that the house I grew up in will be torn down in just a few short months.
Even though things in my life now are far from perfect, I am really starting to understand just how precious time can be, and I've just been trying to enjoy and soak in all that I can. Sometimes, I even really wish I could stop time in its tracks, because I know it will pass by all too quickly. I know growing up is inevitable, and there are definitely things I still look forward to in the years to come; it's just now, I'm not in so much of a rush to get there.
